[BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch - new copy
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Wed, 23 Dec 1998 09:51:10 -0500
Backyard Hawk Watch (est. 1992), Fall 1998
Site: 3812 White Ave., between Belair Rd. and Walther Ave. - northeast
Baltimore City in the Gardenville section.
Topography of the Site: The prominent peak in the area is a steep ridge
about 180-200' above Belair Rd. and about 260' above sea level. It runs
northeast to southwest and is the first ridge west of the Chesapeake
Bay. It is about 12 miles from the bay, and is about 5 miles northwest
of the head of Back River, an arm of the bay, and about 6 miles north of
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. There is a long narrow old-growth of woods
between 3-5 acres on top of the ridge. My hawkwatch site is about 150
yards west of the ridge. From the west side of the ridge, going west
past my site, the topography continues to rise for about 6/10 mile to a
height even higher than the ridge. The only road that runs along side
of ridge is Fairwood Ave., that connects from White Ave. to Parkmount
Ave.
The hawkwatch is located in my backyard. Most of the hawk flights
arrive from the northeast and a few from the north and northeast-east.
Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Counter: Kevin Graff (Dec. 10th - 1pm-2pm)
(Dec. 15th - 9am-10:30am & 3pm-4pm)
(Dec. 16th - 12pm-4:30pm)
(Dec. 18th - 9am-10am & 3pm-4pm)
(Dec. 19th - 11am-3pm)
(Dec. 20th - 10am-12pm & 3pm-4:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 9am-5pm)
SPECIES 12/10 12/15 12/16 12/18 12/19 12/20 SEASON
Turkey Vulture 0 3 0 0 1 0 525*
Black Vulture 0 0 0 0 0 0 49*
Golden Eagle 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Bald Eagle 0 0 0 0 0 0 22*
N. Harrier 0 0 0 0 0 0 48*
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 0 0 0 1 0 260*
Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 0 0 1 153*
N. Goshawk 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 1 0 0 108*
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 0 0 0 11,782*
Red-tailed Hawk 1 0 1 0 1 1 526*
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 0 0 0 7
Osprey 0 0 0 0 0 0 48*
Am. Kestrel 0 0 0 0 0 0 64*
Merlin 0 0 0 0 0 0 15*
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 0 0 0 4*
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Unidentified Accipiter 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Unidentified Buteo 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
Unidentified Falcon 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Unidentified Raptor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 species 1 3 1 1 3 2 13,621*
Weather: The weather has been poor with heavy cloud from 12/10-12/20
with rain all day on 12/17. The wind in the past week is mostly SW and
sometimes SWW.
Raptor Migration Highlight: This has been a good year for raptor with
over a dozens new record especially an incredible large number of
Broadwings. Although the Golden Eagle, N. Goshawk, and Rough-legged
Hawks' number are down this year, it probably because there are some
days that I miss while doing out-of-state travel.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: n/a
Note: Sorry for the late report, I have been busy traveling out of state
several times in the past two weeks. The full total count of raptor,
non-raptor and the total count in each month will come up on next day.
Now the hawkwatching is over, right now I will be busy to work on
preserving 3-5 acres of woods on the ridge for a nature park and a
possible a hawk watch tower.
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com